Handy spur structure

ABSTRACT

A handy spur structure related to a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/7261860 includes: a spur main body, which is a curved rigid body adapted to a configuration of a heel section of a rider&#39;s shoe/boot, the spur main body having at least one post outward protruding from a middle section of the spur main body; and a soft and elastic lining member disposed on a portion of an inner circumference of the spur main body that is closer to a lower edge thereof. Multiple recessed/raised anti-slip stripes are formed on a surface of the lining member. The junction face between the spur main body and the lining member is more approximately orthogonal to the direction of the action force when treading on a horse&#39;s belly, whereby the possibility of peeling of the lining member from the spur main body along the junction face is minimized.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation-in-part application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/726,860, entitled “handy spur structure”, currently pending.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an improved handy spur structure, and more particularly to a spur structure, which is anti-peeling, anti-slip and anti-wear and is not liable to abrade the surface of a shoe/boot.

2. Description of the Related Art

A conventional spur is secured to the heel of a rider's boot by means of a strap for contacting the belly of a horse. U.S. Pat. No. 7,552,576, entitled “spur with removable end piece”, discloses a spur for equitation. The spur includes a U-shaped main body and an end piece for contacting a portion of a body of an animal being ridden. The main body includes two arms terminating in ends. Each end has slots, through which a strap may be threaded for securing the spur to a rider's boot or shoe. The main body further includes a protruding post terminating in a flattened portion. The end piece is removably attached to the post. In use, the main body is fitted onto a heel section of the rider's boot or shoe. Then the strap is passed underneath the boot or shoe and fastened around an instep thereof to secure the spur to the boot or the shoe.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,381,931, entitled “strap-attached spur”, discloses a substantially U-shaped body with two lateral bars and a base part between the lateral bars. Each lateral bar has a free end. Two spur strap eyelets are provided for in each free end of each lateral bar. A spur protrudes from a middle section of the base part in opposite direction from the two lateral bars. In use, the base part is fitted onto a heel section of a rider's shoe/boot. A spur strap is passed through the strap eyelets of the lateral bars and fastened around an instep of the shoe/boot to secure the spur to the shoe/boot.

In horse riding, a rider frequently kicks (reversely treads on) a lateral side of the belly of a horse with the spur secured to the heel of the rider's boot. Therefore, the spur must have a certain structural strength to ensure that the spur can bear continuous impact for a long time and the spur is durable to a certain extent. Most of the early-stage spurs are made of metal materials. Such metal-made spur has a considerably heavy weight and is manufactured at higher cost. Thank to the advance of material technique and processing method, many kinds of hard plastic-made spur products have been developed recently. Most of the existent spur products (including the spur structures disclosed in the above two patents) are single-material products with relatively high hardness. Moreover, in use, the spur is kept in contact with the shoe or boot. Accordingly, the surface of the shoe or boot is very liable to be abraded by the spur under continuous impact.

Moreover, both the spur structure and the shoe or boot have polished surfaces in contact with each other and the spur structure is secured to the shoe or boot simply by means of the strap. As a result, in use of the spur, the spur tends to slip on the shoe or boot and displace or deflect away from its true position. This will cause inconvenience in use of the spur. To overcome this problem, various improved spur products have been developed recently. The improved spur has a section made of relatively soft material.The soft section covers a portion of the main body of the spur that is liable to contact a shoe or a boot so as to provide protection effect for the shoe or boot. In form and structural design, the improved spurs can be substantially divided into an enclosure type, which has an enclosure member for fully enclosing the hard U-shaped main body of the spur and a lining type, which has a soft lining member disposed on the inner circumference of the hard U-shaped main body of the spur that is liable to contact a shoe or a boot so as to provide an impact buffering effect. With respect to the full enclosure type of spur, a large part of the soft material is wasted. On the other hand, with respect to the lining type of spur, it often takes place that the soft lining member is forcedly peeled off from the hard U-shaped main body of the spur in use.

The reason why the lining member is likely to peel off from the hard spur main body in use is that a rider generally kicks or treads on the lateral side of a horse's belly with the spur approximately at a lower part of the lateral side of the horse's belly. This part has a slightly downward inclined curved face (as shown in FIG. 6). Therefore, when kicking this part with the spur, the reaction force exerted on the spur by the lateral side of the horse's belly generally is not normal to the free end of the protruding post of the spur, but is slightly directed downward in the form of an oblique action force P. In this case, the action force and reaction force between the spur main body and the heel of the shoe/boot are also non-orthogonal to each other. Accordingly, the direction of the action force and reaction force is non-orthogonal to the junction face between the soft lining member and the hard U-shaped main body to produce shear stress. As a result, after a long period of use, the soft lining member disposed on the inner circumference of the hard U-shaped main body of the spur is very liable to peel off from the spur main body along the junction face under the shear stress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved handy spur structure, which not only can increase friction force between the spur structure and a rider's shoe/boot to avoid slippage of the spur structure on the shoe/boot, but also can further provide a better design of connection between the spur main body and the soft lining member so as to overcome the problem of the conventional spur that the soft lining member is liable to peel off from the spur main body along the junction face under shear stress.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide the above improved handy spur structure in which a portion in contact with the shoe/boot has better anti-wear property so that the lifetime of the spur product is prolonged.

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide the above improved handy spur structure in which a soft and thicker material is disposed on a portion of the spur main body in orthogonal contact with the shoe/boot so that the abrasion of the shoe/boot can be more effectively minimized.

To achieve the above and other objects, the handy spur structure of the present invention includes a spur main body and a soft and elastic lining member. The spur main body is a curved rigid body adapted to a configuration of a heel section of a rider's shoe/boot. The lining member is disposed on an inner circumference of the spur main body.

In the above handy spur structure, multiple recessed/raised anti-slip stripes are formed on a surface of the lining member for keeping the spur structure from slipping on the shoe/boot and avoiding abrasion thereof.

In the above handy spur structure, the spur main body has two end sections each of which is formed with at least one strap slot. A strap can be passed through the strap slots of the spur main body and fastened around an instep of the shoe/boot to secure the spur main body to the shoe/boot.

The present invention can be best understood through the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein:

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a front perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a rear perspective view of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing that the spur structure of the present invention is connected with a strap;

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the application of the present invention to a boot;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the junction face between the spur main body and the lining member of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a sectional view according to FIG. 5, showing that a rider treads on a lateral side of a horse's belly with the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Please refer to FIGS. 1 to 4. The handy spur structure of the present invention includes a spur main body 1 and a lining member 2. The spur main body 1 is a curved (substantially U-shaped) rigid body made of hard plastic. The spur main body 1 has two end sections each of which is formed with at least one strap slot 11 for a strap 3 to pass therethrough. A middle section of the spur main body 1 has an outward protruding post 12. The lining member 2 is disposed on a portion of an inner circumference of the spur main body 1 that is liable to contact a shoe/boot 4. Preferably, the lining member 2 is disposed on a portion of the inner circumference of the spur main body 1 that is closer to a lower edge of the spur main body 1. The junction face 22 (13) between the lining member 2 and the spur main body 1 is outward upward inclined on the basis of the lining member 2 (as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6). The junction face 22 (13) can be a plane face or an arched face. The lining member 2 can be made of a soft elastic material such as thermoplastic urethane (TPU) elastomer or the like material. Accordingly, the lining member 2 is soft, elastic, anti-wear and bending-resistant. In addition, multiple recessed/raised anti-slip stripes 21 are formed on a surface of the lining member 2 for increasing friction force.

In use, the spur main body 1 is fit ted onto a heel sect ion of a rider's shoe/boot 4. Then the strap 3 is passed underneath the shoe/boot 4 and fastened around an instep of the shoe/boot 4 to secure the spur main body 1 to the heel section of the shoe/boot 4. In this case, the post 12 rearward extends from the heel section. The lining member 2 is disposed on the portion of the inner circumference of the spur main body 1 that is liable to contact the shoe/boot 4, and preferably disposed on the portion that is closer to the lower edge of the spur main body 1. Under such circumstance, the lining member 2 is in contact with the shoe/boot 4 to serve as a soft and elastic cushioning member. When the rider treads on a lateral side of a horse's belly with the heel section of the rider's shoe/boot 4 and the spur, the lining member 2 provides a buffering effect to reduce the surface abrasion of the shoe/boot 4. Moreover, the lining member 2 is positioned right between the inner circumference of the spur main body 1 and an impacted portion of the heel so that the lining member 2 can provide an optimal buffering effect. In addition, as aforesaid, the junction face 22 (13) between the spur main body 1 and the lining member 2 is outward upward inclined. Therefore, the junction face 22 (13) is approximately orthogonal to (perpendicular to) the direction of the action force and reaction force produced when treading on the horse's body. In this case, the non-orthogonal tangential force (shear stress) applied to the junction face 22 (13) due to the action force and the reaction force can be reduced. Accordingly, the possibility of peeling of the lining member 2 from the spur main body 1 along the junction face 22 (13) is minimized. The material of the lining member 2 has a property of high adhesion and is formed with the anti-slip stripes 21. Therefore, the spur main body 1 is not liable to slip on the shoe/boot 4 away from its true position. Accordingly, the rider can more conveniently use the spur structure to control a horse.

In conclusion, the handy spur structure of the present invention is anti-slip and anti-wear and is not liable to abrade the surface of the shoe/boot 4.

The above embodiment is only used to illustrate the present invention, not intended to limit the scope thereof. Many modifications of the above embodiment can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. A handy spur structure comprising: a spur main body, which is a curved rigid body adapted to a configuration of a heel section of a rider's shoe/boot; and a lining member disposed on a portion of an inner circumference of the spur main body that is closer to a lower edge of the spur main body, the lining member being made of a soft and elastic material.
 2. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein a junction face is formed between the spur main body and the lining member, the junction face being outward upward inclined on the basis of the lining member.
 3. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the junction face is a plane face.
 4. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein the junction face is an arched face.
 5. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein multiple recessed/raised anti-slip stripes are formed on a surface of the lining member.
 6. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the spur main body has two end sections each of which is formed with at least one strap slot, whereby a strap can be passed through the strap slots of the spur main body and fastened around an instep of the rider's shoe/boot.
 7. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spur main body has two end sections each of which is formed with at least one strap slot, whereby a strap can be passed through the strap slots of the spur main body and fastened around an instep of the rider's shoe/boot.
 8. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the spur main body has a post outward protruding from a portion of the spur main body, which portion is adjacent to the heel section of the rider's shoe/boot.
 9. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spur main body has a post outward protruding from a portion of the spur main body, which portion is adjacent to the heel section of the rider's shoe/boot.
 10. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spur main body has a post outward protruding from a portion of the spur main body, which portion is adjacent to the heel section of the rider's shoe/boot.
 11. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the spur main body is a U-shaped rigid body.
 12. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the spur main body is a U-shaped rigid body.
 13. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 6, wherein the spur main body is a U-shaped rigid body.
 14. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 8, wherein the spur main body is a U-shaped rigid body.
 15. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein the lining member is made of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) elastomer.
 16. The handy spur structure as claimed in claim 5, wherein the lining member is made of thermoplastic urethane (TPU) elastomer. 